Atlixco: Pueblo Mágico
In Mexico, certain towns are designated as Pueblos Magicos or Magic Towns. Pueblos Mágicos are places that are considered traditionally beautiful because of their colors or architectural style. In the state of Puebla, there are many towns lol this including Cholula. I wrote about Cholula in another post if you're interested in reading about it.
Over the weekend, I went to visit Atlixco with one of my good friends and it was beautiful.
Atlixco is known as the town of flowers. During the spring months, flower shops pop up all over the city. I went during the winter, but there were shops selling poinsettias all over town.
It lies at the foot of the Cerro de San Miguel Mountain, which is the main geographical and cultural landmark.
At the top, there is a small church dedicated to St. Michael the archangel. According to local folklore, a demon who caused problems for the town is trapped in a well here.
Here, there is a beautiful panoramic view of the city.
The city centers around a main square decorated in a Moorish style. The center of the town is a small park with a coffee shop where you can sit and watch the world go by.
México is a really special place to celebrate Christmas. There are lots of traditions unique to this country. Many of the traditions are centered around Catholicism, a very dominant religion.
To be honest, the destruction of the earthquake was definitely evident in the town. As I walked around the town, there were lots of streets closed because of the damage. Every year, there is a huge light display to celebrate Christmas.
This was my first year to go, but I talked to other people who told me that it was much more impressive in past years. I imagine that this is probably due to the earthquake.
However, I was enchanted by the light show. To me, it was magical. After living in Mexico for 3 months, I've come to love all the cheesy celebrations.
In Kansas, my family has a tradition of going to look at the lights in the plaza. The plaza is constructed to look like the architecture of Spain. It's obviously not totally accurate but it's very pretty. Looking at the lights in Atlixco reminded me so much of my Kansas City because. It made me a little nostalgic.
In almost exactly a week though, I'll be back home celebrating with my family! And I can
